Kjær hopes to be able to “help young girls and boys find and cultivate their passion.”
Simon Kjær, a professional soccer player for Italian powerhouse AC Milan and captain for Denmark's male national team, created a CS2 team called WOPA Esport on Monday, April 15. The roster features five Danish youngsters and will debut at the local online league Dust2.dk Ligaen Season 26.
This investment from Kjær follows a trend of famous footballers joining esports in recent years. The list most notably includes David Beckham (Guild Esports), Sergio Agüero and Lionel Messi (KRÜ Esports), and Gerard Piqué (KOI). WOPA, however, seems more like a grassroots project as it hasn't picked up any famous CS2 players.
Who is WOPA Esport's owner Simon Kjær?
Simon Kjær is a professional footballer who currently plays as a center-back for AC Milan and the Denmark national team. The 35-year-old is also the captain of Denmark and played for other notable soccer clubs such as VfL Wolfsburg, Roma, and Sevilla before joining AC Milan in 2020.
Though Kjær has such an extensive career, he only won one championship thus far—the Italian league in the 2021/22 season with AC Milan. While Kjær didn't win numerous trophies, he was named the best player in Denmark twice (2009 and 2021) and was a part of the prestigious Ballon d'Or list in 2021.
Who are the players in Simon Kjær's CS2 team?
The CS2 players in WOPA Esport are:
- Christian "Vster" Vestergaard (22 years old)
- Lucas "Gnøffe" Brunsvig (21 years old)
- Benjamin "brzer" Jensen (22 years old)
- Thomas "LUMSEN" Søhus Larsen (21 years old)
- Jamie Bugge "leakz" West Jensen (21 years old)
The young quintet of WOPA Esport will be trained by the Swedish coach Andreas "addi" Wallenberg. The 34-year-old was a CS:GO pro before becoming a coach in December 2021.
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Why is soccer player Simon Kjær investing in CS2?
Kjær explained in WOPA Esport's official X account that he loves playing Counter-Strike and hopes to be able to "help young girls and boys find and cultivate their passion." Even though WOPA Esport only has a full-male team for now, Kjær could also assemble a women's' team in the future, based on his quote.
WOPA's vision for esports includes bringing a healthy and professional approach, building a non-toxic community and a space for everyone, and focusing on developing Danish talent.
When does the CS2 team of soccer player Simon Kjær debut?
Though most of the players were playing together in CEPTER BITSKINS already, they will debut under WOPA's banner on April 16 at 5 a.m. PT against XI Esports SponsorWorld.
This will be WOPA's first match at Dust2.dk Ligaen Season 26, which has a prize pool of approximately $11,500. While the league isn't as big as other CS2 tournaments, it'll run for two months and conclude on June 19.
That's all for now. However, be sure to stick around on esports.gg for more CS2 news, guides, and updates!
